January 3, 2013

Ola Mae! 
          I am officially in the Campo today. I am so excited! I have a Brazilian companion, he only speaks Portuguese and he is a boss! He baptizes every week; he has only been out in the field for 5 months. I absolutely love the kid! I am so blessed. Also scored the best area! Campo Limpo Paulista, Jundiai! I am so happy to finally be here! The keyboard changed on me again so it is a bit hard to type quickly! I have learned so much, my companion is so excited that I already know some Portuguese and can understand almost everything that he is saying. He is a boss and I am going to love every second here in Campo Limpo with him. He said the people here absolutely love the missionaries and the bishop is the bomb.

So last night I took three buses and a train ride with a ton of luggage to get here but man it is so dang beautiful. Last night we arrived to our little shack and went and bought coke and ice cream for today. We ate a meal, cost three dollars; that was way good some pasta rice beans and two money pieces of chicken. So today he has been teaching me in our house and tonight we will go meet the members and make some friends. Right now we are in a little room with fourteen computers and boys playing video games. They charge by the second for what you use. It is super cheap but so cool.

I absolutely love Jundiai. It is so clean and beautiful with rolling hills with tons of trees between different neighborhoods. We have a big area and it is so cool. They were saying yesterday that they have ten closed areas in right now in the Campinas mission because they are so short on missionaries. This lowering the age thing will be good. New Years was just any other day in the CTM. We didn’t do much because we were packing and getting ready to leave. But it was still a fun last couple days.

I am so excited to finally be out in the field and to learn so much more about this work. I am so grateful for my companion. I talked with my zone leader and district leader who are Americans and they both said that Elder Leal is the best. Thanks for your prayers they have helped out. This week I read a talk by Uchtdorf. It was so good. A quote of his I really liked is when he said, "Don't forget the goodness of the chocolate bars even if they don't have a golden ticket in them." I knew I needed to slow down and just smell the roses instead of pushing myself to depression. My companion lives by this and everyone knows him. He is a celebrity.

 I woke up today and was actually cold because it has been overdraft and cloudy. Hasn't rained yet but it might.  It is perfect though. I love the air here and the people and the weather. I am so blessed.

That is too bad that everyone got sick. I am so sorry about that. I wish I had time to relax and just study other books but I just need to study the patterns of the Lords message right now out of Preach My Gospel. It’s still incredible. But I love D&C and the messages of missionary work.

How is dad doing? I miss you all so much but I am happy to hear you had a good year. Tell them to get better and you and dad don't get sick. How will that work out with mission ties? Is it always month to month? Or is it a quantity thing? Anyways you'll have to start sending all letters to the mission office now. Don’t worry about sending packages either momma. It really is all fine. Just give me lots of pictures when it comes to Christmas time and birthday time. Thanks so much for the package I love you so much! Well I’ll let you know how everything goes on Monday which is now my p day. We emailed today because I have to email each week.

Haah I am just loving it here and it will be the greatest time. I miss you all so much and love you all so much. Have the greatest week and remember to love the little things in life. I love you so. Talk to you soon with much more to write. Sorry I am a little scattered it has been a whirl of two days! I love you!

Also mom, I want to make sure you and dad are writing in your journals. I remember that one time long ago when we read some of the journals entries of dad’s grandpa or dad or something and it was so great to hear. I wanted to hear so much more about it. I wish so badly that Grandpa Kimball and Paynter kept a journal so I could know them better than I do. Please please please make sure you guys are writing at least one thing good or something about your days. I want my kids to be able to read to theirs. Please please please. I love you so. Thanks for doing this.